


Not Quite Mourners

by wynnebat



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Harry Potter & Tom Riddle Attend Hogwarts Together, Light Angst, M/M, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:40:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21797755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wynnebat/pseuds/wynnebat
Summary: “I was going to kill him,” Tom says, the words hanging between them.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Tom Riddle
Comments: 12
Kudos: 502





	Not Quite Mourners

**Author's Note:**

> Prompted by limonium-anemos.

“I’ll still be here when you’re ready to go,” Harry says, intending to wait, to let Tom go on ahead. Tom can be so unbearably private that Harry is surprised he was even invited to come. He stops on the gravel path, the tops of his sneakers meeting the edge of the lawn. “I can stay here. Admire the view.”

It’s a nice view. A cold view, too, autumn edging into winter, not one worth skipping class and leaving the cozy castle for. But Tom is, and wherever Tom goes, Harry will follow.

“Don’t be stupid,” Tom mutters, catching Harry’s left hand in his right.

Despite everything, Harry can’t help but grin. It’s inappropriate, but fuck it. “Will your hand be cold without mine?”

“I’m only indulging your curiosity,” Tom grumbles.

“You say the sweetest things.” Harry squeezes Tom’s hand and takes a step onto the property. “Come on.”

He’d been willing to stay behind if Tom needed him to, but if Tom wants him here, he’ll be there. Every step, every moment. They may be young, both still at Hogwarts, but Harry’s never been more sure of anything in his life. The manor house looms above them. It’s tiny compared to Hogwarts, yet surrounded by all the open land, it looks larger than life. The village is a walk away, bustling when they had apparated there. Now it’s all quiet. Just the two of them.

They cross the lawn to the back of the property. It’s private property, but no one comes out to yell at them. No lights in the windows. Its occupants had left the empty, with only the groundskeeper to look after it. If they want, they can sneak inside. It wouldn’t be hard.

The graveyard is a private one. Harry’s never liked graveyards; too creepy, nothing like the playful Halloween decorations around the castle. He follows Tom past each headstone, glancing down at each to read the names. There are a lot of Edwards. A lot of graves, too. The newest one is the grandest, at least a head taller than the rest. The dirt in front of it is still soft. For one horrible moment, a fanciful part of Harry thinks he is looking at Tom’s gravestone, but it can’t be, of course. It’s the wrong Tom Riddle.

He waits with Tom’s hand secure in his own. Tom takes a long time to begin speaking and when he does his voice is uncharacteristically hesitant.

“I was going to kill him,” Tom says, the words hanging between them. For all that Harry has never seen Tom commit a crime as terrible as that, he can imagine it happen quite easily. Tom had spoken a lot of how much he hated his father. Right up until last month, when Tom had gone strangely quiet. Then one morning he’d woken up, skipped his classes whereby ruining his perfect attendance record, and dragged Harry all the way out here. “By the time I decided, he was already gone. Robbery gone wrong. Pathetic. He was killed by someone who didn’t even give a shit about him, just the money that he could cough up.”

Harry leans into Tom, hoping that it will give him some comfort. “Better than having his death on your magic.” He would’ve said conscience, but very little concerned Tom’s conscience.

“You would think so,” Tom mutters. “Congratulations. You’ve finally met my family. Tom Riddle senior, Harry Potter. Harry Potter, daddy dearest. I didn’t even get to spit in his face.”

“There’s always his gravestone,” Harry consoles.

“It’s not the same.”

“I know.” They stand there for a long time, not quite mourners, not quite family to the man in the grave, but only to one another. Eventually, Harry says, “Let’s go home,” and Tom agrees.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I'm also on [tumblr](https://wynnefic.tumblr.com/).


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